Mobile communication devices using wireless transceivers are a technology staple of life around the world. Even in regions of the world where a wired communication infrastructure may be inadequate or absent entirely, mobile communication devices using wireless transceivers are one of the primary enablers of essential communications. Mobile communication devices using wireless transceivers include, by way of specific examples, cell phones, smartphones, sophisticated e-book readers, and tablet computers.
One consequence of the ever increasing popularity of mobile communication devices is the corresponding increased utilization of available bandwidth. As the lower microwave frequencies become more crowded, millimeter wave band frequencies, such as the approximately 57 GHz to 66 GHz frequency range have become attractive for use by consumer electronics. However, as frequencies increase into this range, maximum device powers tend to decrease, as do operating efficiencies, while losses may increase significantly. Consequently, there are substantial challenges to the design of compact, low-power, millimeter wave band wireless transceivers for use in mobile communication devices.